Ford Canada claims top spot

As December new car sales totals begin to trickle out, Ford Canada has wasted no time in declaring its position on top of the heap for 2010 – a feat not matched in more than 50 years.

With 97,913 units sold in 2010, the automaker says car sales jump 20 per cent, truck sales increase 19 per cent and total vehicle sales up 19 per cent.

“Sales titles are nice to have but we remain focused on building long-term, sustainable, profitable growth,” said David Mondragon, president and CEO, Ford of Canada.

“We expect the Canadian market to grow moderately this year, by about 2 per cent. Ford is well-positioned to build on its sales success by offering a balanced product portfolio of cars, CUVs, SUVs and trucks.”

For December, car sales increased 17 per cent, truck sales increased 7 per cent and overall sales increased 9 per cent. The month also marks the best December sales in more than a decade.

A big highlight for the company was its F-Series. The pickup became the best-selling vehicle ever in a single year in Canadian history and the best-selling pickup in Canada for a record 45 consecutive years.

Despite the light truck sales strength, Mondragon says the F-Series will strengthen its offering with all-new F-150 powertrains, including a 3.7 litre V-6 offering 12.8 L/100 km in the city and 8.9 L/100 km on the highway and the fuel-sipping EcoBoost engine.

“With fuel prices rising at the pump, history shows consumers will begin migrating from trucks to cars in 2011,” he said.

“With our strong focus on fuel-efficient cars, Ford can take advantage of this shift in buying behaviour.”